A New Thing - October 29, 2023

Sermon Series: About Witnessing and God Doing New Thing

October 29, 2023

God is Doing a New Thing: Fear Not

Isaiah 43:1-7

1 But now thus says the Lord,

he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you (I have rescued you before, allusion to Egyptian bondage);

I have called you by name, you are mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you.

3 For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

I give Egypt as your ransom,

Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.

4 Because you are precious in my sight,

and honored, and I love you,

I give people in return for you,

nations in exchange for your life.

5 Do not fear, for I am with you;

I will bring your offspring from the east,

and from the west I will gather you;

6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,”

and to the south, “Do not withhold;

bring my sons from far away

and my daughters from the end of the earth—

7 everyone who is called by my name,

whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed and made.” [1]

1. remember our relationship with God, God as creator, God as parent - For I am the Lordyour God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have called you by name, you are mine.

2. remember what God has done – redeemed us before, God who is with us, who knows our name

3. remember that God has the big picture, God has a plan, God, and that we are part of that plan, whether we chose it or not. King Cyrus, the Egyptians, etc. circling back to relationship with God and what God has done

Remember the Future – Financial Leadership … by Gerald Keucher see page 25-26 and page 30-31 about anxiety and trends – we become anxious when focus solely on the present instead of having an eye for the future with a firm understanding of our past.

‘Fear not’ (43:1–7)

The first section picks up the ominous word flames (2b) from the closing verse of the previous chapter (42:25), and counters it with the steadying exhortation, Fear not (1b). There are some of the tenderest words here that God ever spoke to his children: you are mine; you are precious and honoured in my sight; I love you; I will be with you. They are addressed to people far from home, still in the midst of fires and deep waters, with many more trials to face before they reach their final rest. There is no promise here of a quick fix or a trouble-free future, but of God’s sustaining presence right through to journey’s end, come what may. They are words which we ourselves may appropriate and treasure with complete propriety, for as the old covenant opens out into the new, the people of God, even though they have the cross and the empty tomb behind them, remain aliens and exiles in a hostile world. And it is the faithfulness of the same God, who has promised never to leave them or forsake them, that will bring them home. The strong encouragement of this passage is anchored in the great truths of creation and redemption, and both are given fresh meaning in the process. In chapter 40 Isaiah directed the the gaze of his hearers upwards to contemplate the power of the one who created and formed the universe. Now he tells them that this same God has created and formed them too, for his glory (1, 7). And the value he places upon them is translated into the concrete terms of ransom and exchange. The Lord will reward Cyrus for releasing his precious people by giving him a vastly expanded empire in exchange for them (3–4), not with the desperation of someone who is weak, but with the lavish generosity of someone who loves deeply and has the whole world at his disposal. People who are loved like that have absolutely nothing to fear.

Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 175.

1. Have to get rid of fear

Psalm 46:1-5

God is our refuge and strength, a very present[a] help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of the city;[b] it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.

[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Is 43:1–7.

saves us from evil, brings us from exile, saves us from the sin that is even from our doing.

A Handbook on Isaiah, Volumes 1 & 2 The Title of the Book

Note on the word “prophet”: Prophets are those who brought God’s message to his people. Prophesying, in its biblical sense, does not refer to predicting the future, but to proclaiming God’s verdict on the situation at the prophet’s time. However, a prophet’s message may have a wider perspective, and include threats, promises and descriptions that refer to the future. Prophets spoke to their own generation primarily, so the term chosen to translate “prophet” should draw attention to their role as God’s spokespersons.

i am doing a new thing. Using an enemy to set us free. Our enemies will be our footstools kinds of thing.

A Handbook on Isaiah, Volumes 1 & 2 (The Historical Setting of the Book)

From chapter 40 there is a completely different set of circumstances—the world stage has changed radically. The people of Judah have been in exile in Babylonia since 587 B. C. Now it is Cyrus the Persian king who is dominant. It is probable that the prophet of this period had witnessed the advance of Cyrus and his Persian army and proclaimed that Cyrus would capture Babylonia and release the Judean captives. Cyrus would allow them to return to Jerusalem. Chapters 40–55 reflect that period. The prophetic words are intended to bring comfort to those from Judah who were longing to return home (Psa 137). The announcement to the exiles assures them that Yahweh has raised up Cyrus for that very purpose, namely, to launch a “new Exodus.”

A Handbook on Isaiah, Volumes 1 & 2 (The Message of the Book)

In the second half of the book (chapters 40–66), the message of comfort to Judah’s exiles in Babylonia dominates the work. From the opening verses of this part of the book the prophet proclaims the good news that the people will soon be able to return home to Jerusalem. Cyrus is identified as the agent of Yahweh who will make this possible. However, not everyone seems to have welcomed that news (45:9–13).

A Handbook on Isaiah, Volumes 1 & 2 The Message of the Book

This theme of Yahweh as the Creator is a vital element in the teaching of these later chapters (see, for example, 40:12–17). This creation theme is blended with an exodus theme. When these themes are taken together, they speak of Yahweh creating a new people through a new Exodus: the return to Jerusalem. This is often referred to as Yahweh’s new thing and contrasted with the former things. Yahweh is seen as the master of history—the fate of all nations lies within his control and purpose.